


Eleven and Max

by HelloJello



Category: Parks and Recreation, Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/F, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Love, Marriage, Neil Hargrove Being an Asshole, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:15:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23366032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelloJello/pseuds/HelloJello
Summary: Based on the 5x14 episode of Parks and Recreation "Leslie and Ben." Eleven and Max decide to get spontaneously married and things don't go according to plan.
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper, Will Byers/Mike Wheeler
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	Eleven and Max

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to self quarantining, I suddenly have a lot of free time on my hands, so I was rewatching Parks and Rec and thought that this wedding-disaster-turned-beautiful-ceremony radiated major El and Max vibes. I hope y'all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I hope y'all are doing what you can to stay safe and stay occupied.

"This is amazing," El gasps softly, clinging tight to Max. Her fiance smiles at her enthusiasm as she gazes around the field in complete adoration.

It's been a long few months since Eleven became a member of the Hawkins City Council, and already she's been able to do a lot of good in the community. She's cleared all traces of interdimensional monsters and closed any and all portals that could bring them back, she's managed to bring the town into the twentieth century, and-- most recently-- she has started campaigning to build a recreation center on an empty lot, one that will be financed and funded by the city so that all children, regardless of financial status, will be able to benefit. Among other things, it will include a pool and a basketball court, an indoor track, a few racquetball rooms, a tabletop gaming room where kids can form parties of their own to play Dungeons and Dragons. It's a project that's really close to Eleven's heart, and so far it's a project that has had more than a few bumps in the road.

With this latest fundraiser, however, Eleven has finally managed to raise every penny in the required funding to get to building her public rec center. Right now the lot is just an empty field, but tonight the whole of Hawkins' citizens are milling around under the chic tents outlined in fairy lights and surrounded by food trucks, the smell of fried goods mingling surprisingly well with everybody's formal, black-tie attire. Tonight, Max is dressed sharply in a black tuxedo and is twirling Eleven in her arms, perfectly in tune with the music that spills out of the speakers nearby, making Eleven's red dress whip out in a mesmerizing spiral. Tonight, Eleven is in love, both with her town and with her fiance. Tonight, everything is right.

Just right, in fact. The only thing wrong is that she isn't already married to the most beautiful woman in the world, though she is at least dancing with her, holding her close and moving with her to the rhythm of the songs.

"I know we finally settled on May to get married," Eleven murmurs, running her fingers gently against Max's cheek. "But I just--"

"I know," Max assures her. "It feels weird to wait. I love you, and I want to marry you now."

"Exactly!" Eleven breathes, nestling her head against Max's neck. "It feels so wrong to not be married to you already. I don't want to wait three more months."

"Neither do I," Max decides, a thoughtful expression crowding her face. "So why are we?" she asks after a moment.

Eleven frowns, confused. "Why are we what?"

"Why are we waiting?" Max clarifies. "We should just do it."

"What, tonight?" Eleven questions, perplexed.

"Yes!" Max insists. "Right now!"

"You're crazy!" Eleven giggles, leaning up to place a quick kiss on Max's cheek.

"No, I'm serious," Max proclaims. "The party's all here. Hopper is here. So is the Scoops Troop. And you always said we should make it a public event so that anyone in the town who wants to show up can. Well, now's your chance. We've got food and drinks, a venue, entertainment, and everyone we care about. El, let's just do it. Let's get married!"

Eleven takes her in, this fierce warrior queen she's lucky enough to call her fiance asking her to marry her, and she finds that there's only one logical response.

"Yes," she breathes, smiling so wide that her voice comes out just barely above a whisper. "Yes!" she repeats, louder, and she throws herself deeper into Max's arms, and Max is gripping her and kissing her deeply and hugging her so tight that she actually lifts the city councilwoman off the ground and twirls her around while their lips crash together in a moment of pure ecstasy. It all feels so right, like of course this is the moment they should be getting married. Everything is all coming together for Eleven; she's finally getting everything she's ever wanted out of life, including the things she'd never even dared to hope for.

Max sets her down as they pull apart, her face suddenly serious despite her smile. "So, how do we break it to our guests?"

Eleven thinks for a moment. "I tell my parents and my brothers, and Nancy since she's always with Jonathan, and I'll tell Mike. You tell the Scoops Troop and Lucas. I'll need to change, and we need to find the rings and an officiate. We'll announce the start of the wedding to all the guests once it gets closer to the end of the fundraiser."

"Sounds like a plan," Max grins, darting forward to plant another quick kiss on Eleven's lips. "I'll see you soon."

The two women disappear into the crowd, Max heading for her assigned guests while Eleven makes a beeline for Hopper and Joyce to tell them about the new developments. By the time the clocks show a quarter to 11-- the predetermined endtime for the fundraiser-- Joyce is in tears, as are Will, Nancy, and Steve while Mike, Dustin, and Lucas can't stop smiling and bouncing in excitement, causing Erica to roll her eyes (though she's also smiling at the two's sudden announcement). Robin rushed Max into the bathroom for a few minor adjustments and-- let's be real-- a quick pep talk/interrogation to make sure Max is really ready to be married to Eleven. Hopper, meanwhile, has not let go of his daughter since he heard the news, and he is currently holding her tighter still as a teary-eyed Steve climbs the stage to pick up the microphone.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen," he says, addressing the rest of the town. "As you all know, our very lovely City Councilwoman Jane Hopper threw together this fantastic fundraiser, in hopes of raising the necessary funds to open up a rec center where all children can go to for a safe space and to have some fun. And, as we announced just over an hour ago, we have managed to reach that goal, thanks to all of you." Here he pauses, letting the place thunder with the force of the applause. "Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and the end of this fundraiser is in fifteen minutes. However, we do ask that you stick around if you can, because in sixteen minutes we will be hosting a very special wedding, right here. In sixteen minutes, we will be celebrating the very special love story between your city councilwoman and her fiance-- soon-to-be wife-- Maxine Mayfield. Thank you all once again, and we hope to see you there."

Max finds her way back to Eleven just as Steve hops off the stage, slipping her hand into the younger girl's. The redhead shoots the councilwoman a supportive grin as the crowd around them whispers excitedly, many of them glancing over at them with gleeful expressions. There are a fair few who give them a dirty look, and some of the guests go so far as to leave the event right then and there. Reactions like that used to bother Eleven, but now she couldn't care less. Most of the town is on her side, congratulating her and Max and not hesitating to showcase their excitement and support. Besides, with Max by her side, what more could Eleven want?

So, at 11:01 PM, Robin escorts Max to the center of the stage, where Lucas joins her as her best man, while Eleven slips away to change into her wedding dress. After a moment, Will and Mike walk out, arm in arm, and toss down rose petals as they make their way up towards the stage. At the stairs, Mike takes a seat while Will, as Eleven's maid of honor, hops up to stand across from Lucas. Just behind them, Hopper holds open the flap of the tent, and Eleven slides back inside, and Max audibly gasps, taking in the sight of the brunette in a long white dress that glides gently against the floor with every step she takes. Hopper takes Eleven's arm and begins to walk with her down the aisle. The moment is more perfect than either of them can imagine.

And, as Steve suggested earlier, all good things must come to an end. Their good thing ends rather abruptly, in the form of a wasted, abusive stepfather.

"Boo!" Neil calls, stumbling towards the group, positively reeking of alcohol. "Boo! Fucking dykes, no one wants to see this shit! Boo! Boo! Boo!"

"What is he doing here?" Steve mumbles, and he gets up with a force that suggests a fight is on his mind. Robin grabs him, giving him a fierce look that tells him to sit down. He does.

"What do you want, Neil?" Max demands, not even bothering to keep her exasperation out of her voice.

"What do I want?" Neil repeats with a leer. "I want a stepdaughter I can be proud of, for starters, but I got you. And now here you are, embarrassing me and yourself by showcasing what a disgusting dirty slut you are for the whole town to see."

"Slut?" Max repeats, incredulous. Her eyes blaze with hatred and rage, despite her voice being surprisingly level. "I think I'd have to be marrying more than one person right now to warrant being called a slut, or at the very least I'd have to be dating someone on the side. Which I'm not. And I'm also not your stepdaughter anymore. I haven't been since my mom left your ass."

"Your whore of a mother made a mistake leaving me," Neil spits, his voice slurred, "and she deserved to die the way she did. But even with her gone, people still associate you with me, and I will not let everyone think I approve of this perversion. I'm not proud of you, I'm not happy to see you parading your deformities for the whole town to see, and I really wish you would've just died in that car crash with the stupid bitch that failed to properly raise you!"

Eleven is shaking with rage as she glares at him, a dangerous glint in her eyes, and she wishes more than ever that she had never lost her powers. She'd love to send him sailing off the field right about now. Still, she sees the hurt and infuriated look on Max's face, and she knows she can settle for punching this man in the throat instead. In fact, she takes a step towards him to do just that, but she's stopped when Hopper grips her rather firmly. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices that Lucas has done the same to Max, being dragged forward half a step as the ferocious redhead tries to get at the man disrupting their wedding.

"Stick here for a moment, kid," Hopper instructs her in a whisper.

"I can handle him on my own," Eleven insists, her wrath quickly rising.

"I know you can," Hopper agrees. "But tonight is your night, kiddo, so leave the crazies to me."

Before Eleven can get in another word, Hopper is letting go of her and approaching Neil.

"Uh oh, father of the dyke," Neil smirks, eyeing Hopper as the man approaches him.

"Yeah, congratulations, your eyes are working fine: I am the father of one of the two brides," Hopper tells him, his voice much calmer than he is. "It's time for you to leave, Neil."

"I thought this was an open event," Neil slurs, lurching towards Hopper on drunken legs. "Hmm? Didn't these two queer shits want to give us a show tonight?"

"That's enough," Hopper insists, and even though his voice is still calm despite being firm, the chief of police has his fist clenched tight, tight enough that Eleven knows the truth: on the inside, her father is burning up with rage, and it's about to boil over.

"No, it's definitely not," Neil argues. "These two lesbos haven't even kissed yet. I'm totally sticking around for that."

"No, actually, you aren't sticking around for even another minute," Hopper growls, reaching out for Neil to herd him off the premises.

"Get your hands off me!" Neil snarls, colliding his fist against Hopper's arm.

The room is deadly silent as Hopper appraises the man. "I'll give you that one," he tells the drunk man, "but that's the only one you get."

"Oh?" Neil scoffs. "I disagree."

And with that, he aims another swing. Hopper is ready for him, and he ducks to avoid Neil's flailing limb. Quick as a flash, Hopper throws a punch right in Neil's face. The man goes down, clutching his nose as blood begins to flow. He struggles to his feet, his eyes a blaze of hatred, and he lunges for the town's old sheriff. Hopper grabs him by the throat and wrestles him to the ground.

At this point, many of the guests are quietly leaving the scene, deciding that maybe the surprise wedding is not as worthwhile as they'd first assumed. It isn't until the tent is filled with the sounds of sirens and the sight of swirling red-and-blue lights that the entirety of the wedding guests leap to their feet and make their way to their vehicles. Cops flood the tent, and they rip Hopper away from Neil, slapping both men's wrists in handcuffs.

"Wait!" Eleven calls, rushing after the group as they all return to their squad cars. "Wait!"

"Councilwoman Hopper, you'll have to meet back up with him at the station and post his bail," one of the officers informs her without turning around or even pausing in escorting Hopper to the back of a police cruiser. "That's the law; no exceptions."

Eleven gives Max a helpless look, not knowing what to do in this moment.

"Come on," Will tells her, sliding his arm around her shoulders to steer her out towards the parking lot. "We'll take my car."

"Meet us back at my house!" Mike yells as Eleven hurries over to the passenger side of Will's new 2003 Toyota Prius. It's a small car, painted an icy baby blue that suits Will quite well, and he loves it enough to have paid way too much just to get it brand new off the lot, and he's always super careful about who he lets drive it-- or even sit in it.

Normally, Eleven would be teasing him about letting her dare sit in the passenger seat, and he'd probably respond with something like, "what's a maid of honor for if not to honor you on your wedding day" and the two would laugh. To be fair, normally Will didn't have to drive Eleven down to the police station so they could bail Hopper out of jail. This is definitely a strange night, and something in the air leaves Eleven sure that the night is only going to get stranger.

"I'm going to hit someone," Will groans in frustration as he paces up and down the limited length of the Hawkins Jail's reception/waiting area. "Why aren't they letting him out?"

"They haven't posted his bail yet," Eleven tells him, slumping down into a chair while they wait for Joyce to finish yelling at the officers who detained her husband. "The judge went home already, and he won't even be back for another four days."

"Four days?" Will repeats, incredulous. "Why?"

Eleven wipes tears out of her eyes. "Vacation, I guess."

"Hey," Will soothes, sitting down beside his sister as she breaks down into sobs. "We'll figure something out, okay? As they say, the show must go on. Right?"

Eleven looks over at him, her face a mask of confusion. "The show?" she questions.

"Your wedding," Will clarifies. He throws his hands up in surrender as a frown covers Eleven's face. "It's just an expression," he promises, "I'm not calling your wedding a show."

"I'm not worried about the wedding right now," she snaps. "I'm worried about Hop and how he's in jail for the foreseeable future and how, for some stupid reason, there doesn't seem to be a damn thing we can do to change that! I mean, I'm on the City Council, for god's sake! I've fought dangers no one in this town could possibly imagine! After everything I've done-- after everything Hop has done-- why the hell won't these mouthbreathers do anything to help us?"

Eleven claps a hand over her mouth, both stunned and embarrassed with herself for allowing such an outburst in public. "It's okay," Will assures her, draping a protective arm across her shoulders. "Let it out."

Eleven sighs. "It's just… I've faced off with demogorgons and an actual Mind Flayer and won, somehow. Why can't I win now, when it matters?"

"First," Will tells her sternly, his expression as serious as his tone, "it did matter when you faced off against the Mind Flayer. He wanted to kill you, El. I don't know what I would've done if he'd succeeded, and I bet neither of us want to imagine how Max would have reacted."

Eleven grunts, her small way of admitting defeat.

"Second," Will continues, "we can still win now. We just have to figure something out."

"Like what?" Eleven presses.

"I don't know," Will shrugs. "You're in politics; isn't there anyone who owes you a really big favor for something?"

Eleven frowns at him, but before she can respond the two are interrupted by an amused sounding, "Yeah, there sure is."

The pair turn towards the woman who spoke, and Eleven outright gasps in surprise when she sees who it is.

"Ch-chief!" she greets Hawkins' newest chief of police. "What are you doing here?"

"Cashing in one of the many favors that I apparently owe you," she responds. "I've finally gotten around to reading the files on this town; the ones from the '80s. It's clear to me, Councilwoman Hopper, that you have done this town many great services that have gone underappreciated. Not to mention, you have helped out our current police force specifically on several occasions. It's time we paid our debts."

"Meaning?" Will prompts.

"Meaning," the chief answers, a rare smile in place, "don't worry about your father's bail. I've got it covered, whenever the amount is decided, and for now I have an officer on his way to let him out and escort him back to your wedding."

"Really?" Eleven squeals, lighting up like a holiday tree and causing the chief to laugh.

"Really," she confirms.

"But the wedding was cancelled," Will reminds them. "We had to postpone it."

"Oh," Eleven remembers, deflating a little bit. "Right." At the sight of her father walking through the interior doors of the jailhouse and into the waiting area, she brightens again. "Hopper!" she calls excitedly, rushing over to throw herself into his arms.

He instantly catches her, holding her tight to his chest for a few moments. "I'm sorry, kid."

Eleven pulls back slightly to look at him, wondering if he's joking. "What for?" she asks, baffled.

"Well, I've never walked a bride down the aisle before-- and granted I'm not the person you want to ask about all the do's and don'ts of a wedding-- but I know for a fact I'm not supposed to cold cock a man during the ceremony," Hopper explains with a shrug.

"Maybe you are supposed to," Eleven suggests, a slight smile quirking the corners of her lips, "when the man is drunk and being a mouthbreather."

"You think so?" Hopper grunts, an amused look on his face.

Eleven nods. "You were awesome," she promises. "Totally bitchin'."

"Regardless," Hopper says, a guilty expression settling over his features, "I hope you didn't stop the wedding on my account."

"Of course I did!" Eleven tells him, astounded. "I couldn't have married Max knowing you were stuck here!"

Hopper sighs. "Yes you could've."

But Eleven shakes her head at him. "No," she argues, "I couldn't." Her bottom lip trembles slightly, and her eyes fill with tears as she continues. "My mother can't hear me no matter what I do to try to reach her, my sister is still in hiding somewhere in the next state over, and Papa is dead-- and even if he wasn't, he'd still be a monster. You're all I have, Hop, and I could never get married without you there to walk me down the aisle. Never, ever."

Hopper clears his throat, blinking back tears of his own. "So," he says, turning to the new chief of police, "do we have anything else we need to take care of?"

"No," she assures them, "I can handle the paperwork. Besides, we have a pretty clear understanding of what went down tonight. I think it's safe to say, you're off the hook, Former Chief Hopper."

Hopper sends a grateful nod her way before turning back to Eleven. "Let's get you back to that ceremony, kid," he says.

"Actually," Will cuts in from beside his mom, "we're taking it to mine and Mike's place to cool off for the night."

Hopper raises a brow, and Will mimes zipping his mouth shut when Eleven turns away. Hopper nods and offers a wink in understanding.

"Max and I are fine with getting married in May," Eleven explains as they head out to the car. "It's what we'd originally decided anyway. Tonight just seemed so perfect, but I think maybe we just got caught up in the moment."

"Hmm maybe," Will offers sympathetically, shaking his head at Hopper through the rearview mirror, a mischievous grin on his face. When Eleven looks up, he quickly switches to a more solemn expression.

"Sorry I had to go and ruin your perfect night, kiddo," Hopper apologizes.

"You didn't ruin anything," Eleven tells him, a frown crossing her features. "It was Neil."

"If anything, you de-escalated the situation," Will adds.

Joyce snorts from the front passenger seat. "I don't know about that," she chimes in with a smile. "You might have kept the situation from escalating further, but I'm really not convinced that there was any de-escalation happening."

Hopper grins sheepishly, his cheeks tinted red. "Love you too, Joyce."

Joyce shrugs and turns back to face the front.

“At any rate, it sure as hells wasn’t you who did the ruining,” Will assures him.

“Hmm,” Hopper grunts from the backseat, seemingly still unconvinced.

“What the… What?” Eleven gasps as Will pulls into the driveway of Karen Wheeler’s former house-- Mike and Will’s current abode. Rose petals trail from the front walkway to the door, white ribbon draped elegantly over the frame.

“Give us a minute?” Hopper asks, placing a gentle hand on Joyce’s shoulder. She nods, sparing a glance at Eleven before opening the door to climb out of the car.

“We’ll be down in the basement,” Will says. “Meet us there when you’re ready.” Hopper nods as the boy hurries inside after his mother.

“What’s going on?” Eleven sniffs, wiping away tears that suggest she already knows the answer.

“I just wanted to say,” Hopper begins, his voice gruff as he tries to choke back tears of his own, “that I’ve truly loved watching you grow up, and mature, and learn. I miss my little girl every day, but I’m so grateful that you came into my life and became my new little girl. And I need you to know that I am so proud of the woman you’ve become. I love you so much.”

Eleven smiles, unable to stem the flow. “I love you, too.”

Hopper takes a deep breath as though steadying himself before returning the grin. “Okay. Are you ready to go kid?”

Eleven tries one more time in vain to wipe away her tears, and then nods her consent.

Hopper opens his door before moving over to open Eleven’s, offering her his arm. She takes it with a watery grin as the two head inside. As soon as they open the door she can see that the decorations did not stop at the threshold, as the petalled pathway continues down the hallway and to the basement steps. When Eleven appears at the top, the sound of Dustin’s singing instantly greets her ears, following her descent. The rest of the party (plus the Scoops Troop and Nancy) is waiting for her, most of them sitting on the sofa and the loveseat. Standing under a makeshift altar of tree branches and silk are Joyce, who is in the middle to officiate; Will, Eleven’s maid of honor; Lucas, Max’s best man; and Max, looking so radiant and smiling like the universe is shining upon her.

Dustin finishes his solo just as Hopper and Eleven reach the altar, and he takes his seat.

“You’re officiating?” Hopper asks, quirking a brow at his wife.

“Well I am ordained,” she says.

“Since when?” Hopper snorts.

“Since a long time ago,” Joyce responds. “Seriously, Hop, you don’t know everything there is to know about my life. Not by a long shot.”

“Apparently,” Hopper concedes.

“Do you mind letting us get to the actual ceremony?” Lucas cuts in.

“Not at all,” Hopper says. He gives Eleven a quick hug, holding her as tight as he can for a second, and then slips over to the sofa.

Max takes Eleven’s hand, giving it a light squeeze. “Are you ready?” she asks.

Eleven looks around the room, at the decorations that her friends set up, and at her friends themselves. For a moment, she’s back in the ‘80s: the party is sitting around a DnD table, complete with the board; Mike is showing off his Yoda action figure; Will the Wise is wearing his wizard’s robes; Max is teaching her to skateboard and reading her Wonder Woman comics. She remembers so many moments from when they were kids, from when Robin and Steve and Nancy and Jonathan were all teenagers. The good times and the bad. Their times of triumph and their moments of failure. She sees her friends-- her family-- and she knows that they will always have her back. And she turns to face the redhead who she wants always by her side. Her answer comes ready to her lips with a smile.

“Let’s do this.”


End file.
